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  Jim nodded, "So, you have a person on the inside?"

  Jennifer nodded, blowing on the hot tea.

  "That's another person who gets a cut?" Blair asked, glancing at Jim.

  Diana shook her head, "No, a salary. Our silent partner pays for the service. The maid just goes in to do her job, and doesn't question someone coming in for a minute, and leaving a hundred on the dresser for the privilege. Nothing comes out of your cut, other than the 10%."

  "Processing fee."

  "Right."

  "Listen, what's coming in this week is well over 10 million, once liquidated. 10% of that is a drop in the bucket." Jennifer said. "So, are you in?"

  "What if we aren't?" Jim asked.

  Diana shrugged, "Then, we take you out. See, we don't like competition. Partners are good, but competitors...well, it gets ugly."

  Jim raised his eyebrows, wondering how she would plan to take them out, but said nothing. The point was to get in with them, not make an enemy and lose the chance. "Okay, I'm up for it." He glanced at Blair, "What about you?"

  Blair shrugged, "Whatever you say."

  Diana smiled, as did Jennifer. "Great. This could be fun." Jennifer set her cup down and winked at Jim. "We'll have to discuss technique, sometime. I'd love to see you in action."

  Jim ignored the look on Blair's face from the other side of the kitchen. "Sure, anytime." He glanced at his watch. "There's three arrivals tomorrow morning that look promising. What time shall we meet?"

  Jennifer was still smiling, "We like to be there right at check-in. Most guests get situated, then head out for lunch or some sightseeing. Meet us in the lounge at 2:00." They all stood and she put a hand around Jim's arm, walking him to the door. "Nice thing about these hotels, they have an early check-in." They stopped at the door and she released his arm, then shook his hand. "See you there, partner."

  "2:00." Jim replied. He glanced back at Blair,

  "Maybe after work, we could go out for some relaxing?" Diana asked. Before Blair could respond, she leaned over and kissed him full on the lips. "Think about it." she said, releasing him.

  Jim had to look away for a second before he lost his composure in reaction to the look on his partner's face.

  "Yeah, maybe," Blair managed to reply. "See ya." he turned then and followed Jim out to the truck.

  They both climbed in, glancing back at the women in the doorway, then Jim quickly felt for the gold, still stashed under the seat. He started the truck, and the women walked back inside, shutting the door. He backed down the driveway, then into traffic, heading back towards the highway. Blair was shaking his head and laughing a little.

  "Discuss technique?"

  Jim laughed. "Well, I would like to know how she manages it. Must use those detectors on the safes when she's working."

  Blair shook his head. "You kids today."

  "You weren't doing too bad yourself, Chief. Diana was practically down your throat." he glanced at Blair for a second and could have sworn he blushed.

  "You might be right about self-defense. Maybe I should take a class?" He shook his head in amazement. "They're like cats, man. Friendly and attractive, but dangerous, too." he looked at Jim. "We're keeping this professional, right?"

  "Always."

  "Good. Just checking."

  Jim raised his eyebrows, "You're not going to have a problem here, are you Chief? No one expects you to do anything you're not comfortable with, just for a case."

  "No, no problem," Blair replied. "I mean, it's just stealing, right? Break into some safes, steal some property, no problem."

  Jim sighed, pulling off the highway at their exit. "Listen, Sandburg, like I said, it's better to be robbed by undercover cops on a case."

  "I know, I know." Blair waved his hands in the air, nodding. "Forget it. It's just..."

  "Just what?" Jim glanced at his partner as he made a left turn. He never minded Blair asking questions about procedure, but he wanted to be sure he kept asking until he understood.

  "It just feels weird, that's all," Blair replied, looking over at him. "I was thinking last night, about what someone with one Sentinel sense would do for a living, other than something legitimate, like I already have documented."

  "And you came up with, what?" Jim made a right turn and they were on the street in front of the loft, looking for a parking spot.

  Blair shrugged slightly. "I dunno, pickpocket, safe-cracker, that type."

  "And that bothers you?" Jim parked the truck and looked at Blair. He had often wondered himself what some of them must think, having one or two senses that were so off the scale. Had they been as paranoid as he was when his senses manifested? Or was having just one not so abnormal?

  "Yeah, I guess it does." Blair looked at him for a moment, then opened the door and climbed out of the truck.

  Jim got out and they walked upstairs. "You know, people are people, no matter what genetic advantage they may have." He unlocked the door and they went inside. "Not every genius works in a think tank, doing nice things for humanity." He tossed the keys to the small table and took off his coat. "Actually, I've wondered if maybe I'm not the only one with all five, maybe there's someone else out there, even in Cascade, that you haven't found." Jim crossed to the kitchen and took a look inside for dinner possibilities. Blair was still standing in the living room and Jim glanced back at him. There was a strange, puzzled look on his face, then he turned and walked over to a stool beside the counter.

  "I suppose that's possible." He pulled off his coat and draped it over the second stool. "Doubtful, but possible."

  Jim glared at the coat and Blair picked it up again and walked over to the door, hanging it up.

  "Maybe one slightly less anal." he mumbled.

  "I heard that," Jim replied from halfway inside the refrigerator. "Just for that, Chief, you get to warm up last night's linguini. I need a hot shower." Jim shut the refrigerator door and passed Blair on his way to the bathroom, smiling.

  Once inside he stripped and turned on the hot water, testing it before stepping in. His neck was stiff again and he wanted to stand under the hot spray and loosen up the muscles. Working the safe without the black box Fingers had given them had proved easier, but he'd still nearly zoned out a couple of times. Luckily, Blair would begin to speak just in time, and he was able to use his partner's voice to focus on and pull himself back. During the tight concentration on his tactile sense only, Jim's body was aware of the slightest changes in air pressure and temperature around him. He found that he could focus tightly on one area, and block out what the rest of his body was telling him, but then he began to feel the rest of the world fading into the distance. What would happen if he did zone out and Blair wasn't there? How long would he stay like that? Until someone found him? Once, he was nearly killed by a garbage truck while focused on sight. And what about another Sentinel? If there was one, would Blair find him or her? Was he even still looking? Jim never really knew what Blair did at the University when he wasn't teaching a class or grading papers. And if he did find another, would he leave to study a second Sentinel? What if it was a woman? Suddenly Jim's mind flashed on a million possibilities and he shook his head to clear the visions. No, one was enough for any guide.

  Part 5

  * * *

  Blair had just finished warming up dinner when Jim came downstairs in clean clothes. It was getting dark outside and the rain that had been threatening all day finally began. "Listen, Jim, all I was saying earlier is that I just didn't think about what kind of person I'd find as a Sentinel." He set dinner on the table and went back to the kitchen for milk as Jim sat down. "I mean, you're a cop, and that makes perfect sense. With your abilities, your job benefits." He poured the milk, then returned the bottle to the refrigerator. "I just never thought about what I might have done if I finally found a Sentinel, and he, or she, turned out to be a real asshole." He sat down and looked at Jim. He almost added something, but changed his mind, and he could see the recognition on Jim's face. He always
knew when Blair was thinking of something and thought better of saying it.

  "You mean, what if I turned out to be an international thief, instead of a cop?"

  Blair nodded, picking up his fork. "Yeah, something like that."

  Jim ate a mouthful, then looked up at Blair. "What would you have done?"

  "What?"

  "What would you have done, if I turned out to be a criminal?"

  "But you didn't." Blair put a forkful of linguini in his mouth.

  Jim waved his fork in the air at his partner, "That's not the point. What would you have done, if I turned out to be not so perfect?"

  Blair laughed around his mouthful, "Perfect? Jim, don't flatter yourself."

  "Answer the question." Jim put his fork down and drank some milk, waiting.

  Blair finished swallowing, trying to figure out just what to say. He honestly didn't know. "I'm not sure." There, that was the truth, believe it or not. "I'd like to say I wouldn't have hung around much. I mean, if I could have gotten him into the lab more than you, maybe studied him for a few months or something, I would have all my answers." Maybe. It was a good question, and one Blair had asked himself more than once after having met Jim. What would he have done? He had never been as concerned with what his Sentinel would be, as he had been with just finding one. It stood to reason that a Sentinel would be employed in some type of protection work, but then again, there was no real basis for that assumption. Sentinel abilities were genetic. Was the profession one chose also genetic in some way? Blair realized he was sitting there, fork in hand, staring off into space with Jim eyeing him. "What?"

  "Nothing." Jim returned to his plate, then looked back up. "Do you think Jennifer has a Sentinel sense of touch?"

  Blair rolled his eyes, knowing what Jim was thinking. "I suppose you could find out."

  Jim grinned, then shook his head. "I don't think so, Chief. We're keeping it professional, remember? Besides, they're the bad guys."

  Blair nodded and returned to his dinner. He knew Jim would never compromise himself for the job, especially with a woman like Jennifer. There had been only one other time, since his meeting Jim, that he had abandoned all judgment during a case for a woman. But, that had turned out to be due to his extrasensory response to pheromones. That was scientific, purely instinctual, and would hopefully never happen again. This, was just a case. And Diana, as attractive as she was, was definitely not Blair's type. Sure, she was nice to look at, and dressed for distraction, but Blair couldn't see himself picking her out of a crowd for a nice conversation.

  But what about Jim's question? What would he really have done, if the Sentinel he finally found had been employed in anything other than a legitimate job? He had always envisioned himself as a Guide, once he admitted to himself and accepted the fact that he was NOT a Sentinel himself. And being Jim's Guide was turning out to be an educational, and life-changing position to be in. But what would have happened if Jim had refused him? Or if he couldn't stand to be around Jim? Blair used to have a mental picture of the tribal Sentinel and Guide as two proud, traditional, devoted men, spending months together alone in the jungles, watching for trouble and protecting the tribe. But, surely there wasn't danger around every corner, anymore than there is today. What did they talk about while sitting in the forest, getting rained on, with nothing else to do for days on end? Were they always a perfect match? They would have to be, wouldn't they? In order to spend what would be their entire lives together, often the only two people around for miles? Human nature didn't change much throughout the centuries. Did the old-time Sentinel get tired of seeing the same face all day long? Was he always the older, wiser member of the group? What about some of the Guides? Did they ever get fed up, and throw in the towel for the sake of their sanity? Or would they think of the tribe ahead of anything? How did Blair compare to the Guides of so long ago? There was a whole new aspect for his dissertation that he hadn't really considered.

  "What's the plan for tomorrow?" Blair asked, realizing he had been thinking quietly all through dinner. He picked up both their plates and started for the kitchen.

  "There are four more guests for the auction checking in tomorrow. I assume we'll try and hit all four." Jim stood and stretched, then crossed over to the couch and sat down. "The other six are all coming in the day after. If we hit them all, we might be able to meet this boss of theirs by the end of the week."

  "Four in one day, then six the next? Jim, can you do that many?" Blair finished scraping the plates and started to fill the sink with hot water. "You sounded pretty stressed during the job today."

  "We'll split them up, I assume. Jennifer and Diana take two, we take two."

  "Yeah, but then three? And this one was controlled. We knew when Bryce's man was leaving and that he wouldn't come back until we were done." The sink was filled so he turned off the water and put the dishes in to soak. "This will be the real thing."

  "I know. That's what we're here for, Chief. We'll go see Bryce in the morning, let him know what's happening."

  Blair nodded and did the dishes, thinking about the fact that they were going to commit a real crime tomorrow. When he finished, he joined Jim in the living room. "I don't know, Jim. This could get tricky. I'm worried about you zoning out in one of those rooms."

  Jim shook his head, "You kept me from going today. That should work again, no problem."

  This time Blair shook his head, leaning forward in his chair. "No, it was easier today. First of all, there was no one in the hall except Diana, and we wanted her to know what we were doing. Second of all, we knew Bryce's man wasn't coming back. This time it's not a controlled experiment. I mean, what if someone comes back? What if I'm not alone in the hall and can't just start talking to no one? And if you do zone out, how am I supposed to get into the room if it locks behind you?" He shook his head again. "No, I don't like this."

  "It's too late to back out now, Chief. Besides, you'll keep me from losing it like you always do, and I'll get us through the job like I always do, okay?"

  Blair was quiet for a moment. Jim's faith could scare him sometimes. Finally he nodded, "How's your neck?"

  Jim turned his head around a few times, "Fine. It was a little stiff, but the shower took care of it. Now, tomorrow might be another story, so keep those fingers limber."

  Blair laughed shortly, "Yeah, if I don't want to run out of hot water again."

  Jim ignored that remark. "I'd like to get a look at the equipment Jennifer uses to get into the safes. That setup at the house, they had enough hardware attached to the computer to keep any trace confused for hours. And they've got someone on the inside at the hotel; wether or not they know what is being done while they look the other way, I don't know. But they have to get the stuff to their silent partner somehow. He either comes for it, or they take it to him. Sounds to me like they'll be finished with this town after this week."

  "Don't you think that after tomorrow's take, the hotel will be crawling with security? Two guests get robbed of several million dollars, and the cops would be swarming."

  "Bryce will take care of that."

  Blair nodded. He could think of a million more reasons why something would go wrong, but Jim would have an answer for each one. At least no one was going to get hurt this time.

  The next day, they drove to Detective Bryce's office and filled him in. After that, and a call to Captain Banks, they were on their way back to the hotel to meet their new partners. Jim had the motion sensor in his jacket pocket along with the key decoder, and they each had their headsets. Jennifer and Diana were waiting for them at the same table as the other day, so Jim slid in beside her, while Blair sat next to Diana again, this time trying to keep some distance between them. Immediately a hand was on his knee and he tried not to pull away. He was attracted to her on a purely physical level, but nothing more.

  "Right on time." Jennifer smiled at them both, then nodded out to the lobby. "Our first guest has just arrived. He checked in about three minutes ago, in room 71
3." She glanced at Blair and Diana. "I normally send Diana up to scout out the floor, while I wait down here for the all clear." She looked at Jim, "I like to see the mark actually leave the hotel and get into a cab before going up. That way I know I have some time."

  Jim nodded, glancing at Blair for a second. "Why don't we send the kids upstairs, while we wait for the other guests to arrive?"

  Blair tried to shoot Jim a nasty glance, but he was being ignored. He didn't want to leave Jim, and he most definitely didn't want to be alone with Diana for long. But before he could protest, Diana had snaked an arm around his and was pushing him out of the bench.

  "We'll head up to the seventh floor and get comfortable," she said.

  Blair was still trying to glare at Jim, but when his partner looked at him he just smiled and nodded towards the lobby with his head. "Let us know when he leaves the room."

  "Do we know he's alone?" Blair asked, glaring at Jennifer now.

  "He's alone," she replied. "We'll take this one, if he leaves soon. After we get another check-in, Diana can cover the new one." She turned to Jim. "Three of them are going to be on the same floor. Maybe we'll get a chance to work together."

  Jim was replying to her, but Blair didn't get to hear it as Diana was pulling him toward the elevators. Once inside, Blair thanked every god he had ever heard about that they were not alone in the car. At the seventh floor, they proceeded together down the corridor until they came to room 713. The room was farther down the hallway, towards the corner that mirrored the vantage point Blair had yesterday while he watched out for Jim. They paused at the door, then proceeded on around the corner and down the other hallway a few doors, until the lady behind them rounded the corner and entered her room. Once clear, they went back to the corner and each took a seat in the padded chairs set up with a small table between them. Diana removed a headset from her purse, and Blair took his from his pants pocket, putting it on his right ear. Hers was somewhat smaller, and she raised a hand to her head when a guest passed by so as to hide the instrument.